The first betatron
07/15/1940 AD demonstrated
When Kerst's betatron became operational on July 15, 1940, he became the first person to accelerate electrons using electromagnetic induction, reaching energies of 2.3 MeV.
In December 1941 Kerst decided on "betatron", using the Greek letter "beta", which was the symbol for electrons, and "tron" meaning "instrument for".
He went on to build more betatrons of increasing energy, a 20 MeV machine in 1941, an 80 MeV in 1948, and a 340 MeV machine, which was completed in 1950.
The betatron would influence all subsequent accelerators. Its success was due to a thorough understanding of the physics involved, and painstaking design of the magnets, vacuum pumps and power supply.
In 1941, he teamed up with Robert Serber to provide the first theoretical analysis of the oscillations that occur in a betatron.
The original 1940 machine was donated to the Smithsonian Institution in 1960.
Lattitude: 40.1096° N
Longitude: 88.2042° W
Region: North America
Modern Day United States
Subjects Who or What demonstrated?
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Public land-grant resear... -
Donald William Kerst American physicist who w...
Objects To Whom or What was demonstrated?
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Particle accelerator A machine that uses elec...
Events in 1940 MORE
